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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. key — the most important part
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — the arms race
  7. kick — in football
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. face — part of the head
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — humankind
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. march — the month
  23. face — to confront
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com